


Consequences

by HeaveninaWildFlower



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Mostly Gen, character study Thorin, very vague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 07:59:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9538811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeaveninaWildFlower/pseuds/HeaveninaWildFlower
Summary: Thorin explains exactly why Bilbo is happy with Bofur and not him.  Fili is a good heir.  Also vaguely in the future of an everybody lives/nobody dies au.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Smoke Sapphire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064076) by [Thorinsmut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinsmut/pseuds/Thorinsmut). 
  * Inspired by [Smoke Sapphire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064076) by [Thorinsmut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinsmut/pseuds/Thorinsmut). 



Thorin sighed. This was getting out of hand, it had been three years and Dwalin had yet to forgive Bilbo the horrific transgression of marrying Bofur. While Thorin appreciated the loyalty of his closest friend it was also dividing the company and causing problems. Others within the mountain were noticing the friction between members of the company and the rumors were spreading and neither Bilbo nor Bofur should be subjected to that. Balin, unsurprisingly, was staying well out of it while Fili, Kili, Ori and even Nori had become staunch defenders of their former burglar. It probably would not have come to much except Thorin was being managed into marriage by his advisers and other dwarf lords were sending their unwed relatives in hopes of making a successful political union. Thorin could truly not care less, any who wished to wed him for ties to the mountain would be sorely disappointed by their lack of influence. Thorin’s only caveat to the whole thing was that the dwarf he wedded would be craft-wed and not expect anything better than friendship from a connection with Thorin. There had been a time, short though it was, that Thorin had thought Bilbo would be his consort. That he would rule with Bilbo standing next to him with that brilliant combination of common sense and irreverence he had. The only person who had never been truly awed by Thorin King Under the Mountain. But that time had passed and Bilbo was happy with another. As much as he wanted to explain to Dwalin why holding a grudge against the mountain’s only hobbit was foolish, he also did not want to have to explain more than once. He wanted to have done with the whole thing, now.

“Dwalin,” he called. “Call a meeting of the company, except Bilbo and Bofur.” Dwalin looked like he wanted to argue some more so Thorin simply said, “I will discuss your grievances then.” So Dwalin left his king’s private quarters to arrange a sit-down of nearly everyone who had helped reclaim Erebor, grumbling under his breath about “idiot kings and grievances, bah.”

Late that evening, after dinner and around the time most of the company retired to their quarters; much of Thorin’s company gathered to hear their king explain his soon to be announced courtship, to whomever was chosen. They settled in with pipes and some amount of grumbling, battle-lines clearly drawn within the room. Those old-fashioned thinkers Dwalin, Dori, Gloin and Oin all settled well apart from the younger ones. Bombur and Bifur sat clear on the other side of the room from them, in staunch support of Bofur’s marriage.

“This has to end. You cannot continue to argue and disagree as you have been. Bilbo made his choice and he is happily wed. I am going to wed, and soon, though I have not decided on a suitor yet.” With the explosion of noise within the room, one would probably think that a war had broken out. Thorin smirked to himself, one wouldn’t be entirely wrong. He was content to let them wear themselves out arguing awhile until he heard

“-that Halfling has no business in this mountain. Any other who had wronged our king so badly would have been thrown from the mountain shaved and”

“Enough!” roared Thorin. “Dwalin, enough. I am honored by your loyalty old friend, but in this case, it is misplaced.” That shut them up. Thorin sighed, he did not want to have this conversation. “I gave my blessing long before the courtship and marriage even took place. And no, Bofur did not ask for it, I gave it willingly.” He smiled grimly at the shocked looks from everyone in the room. Kili’s mouth was literally hanging open.

“How…what?” Dwalin spluttered. Thorin wished he could enjoy this more it wasn’t often he got to see that particular expression of befuddlement on his old friend’s face.

“There is a reason I made it a requirement for my suitors to be craft-wed. I cannot trust myself with another. I dare not take that risk again. I was cruel and disdainful of our burglar from the beginning. I made our journey on him harder than it needed to be simply because I could not appreciate his value when it was so different from what I knew. Nearly everyone in this room came to like him and hold him in some regard before I did. And when he had finally proven himself, even to me; I took him. There was no courtship of any kind, there was no” and here he struggled for words to truly explain but finally decided on, “no friendship and very little kindness.

“And still he gave, and gave until I broke him.” Here he paused and looked at his friends, those he respected above all. “I took one look at the gold and fell deeper into madness even than Thror. And even then, he did everything he could to protect me, to protect us. He stole the Arkenstone and bartered with it to protect me, and all of you, even from myself. Without the elves and men with us that day, we would have lost. I nearly lost my heirs, my sister-sons, because of my madness.” He quietly continued, “there is really only so much cruelty a body can take, only so many times you can break trust before it cannot be mended again. And I did that. I did that. Not Bilbo and not Bofur. I took Bilbo like a possession and would have kept him locked up, never to see anyone but me again, if not for Bofur and his distractions. I nearly killed my One. Over a stone. Unique and one-of-a-kind though the Arkenstone is, Bilbo is worth more and he always was. I did not see that while Bofur never lost sight of it. I have been blessed by Mahal to see my beloved, my One, pieced back together. To see him courted properly and loved by one who will never forget his value. To see Bilbo, heal and to hear him laugh…I am content in his happiness. And so, should all of you be. No one deserves it more, no one paid a heavier price for my faults than our burglar. You can no longer hold him accountable for my many flaws.”

“He accepted you first,” complained Gloin, “he would have forgiven you eventually, if given enough time.”

“How much would you have him forgive?” asked Fili quietly. The entire room turned to look at him. “Uncle is not wrong. He never took the time to get to know our burglar. He never apologized for his mistreatment over the first half of our journey. He never courted him. He never gave of himself he only took. And Bilbo gave. Continuously. How could Thorin claim to love and respect someone and yet not court him. He simply took him to bed. Gloin would you ever allow Gimli to wed someone who treated him the way Thorin treated Bilbo?”

At this even Gloin began to look uncomfortable. And Thorin knew it was because no one here wanted to think so little of him, but the truth was Fili was right. If a suitor for Fili or Kili had acted the way he had done, Thorin would have them beaten from the mountain. He had shown so little consideration where Bilbo was concerned that he truly did not deserve the loyalty of his friends, not in this at least.

“We all knew it wasn’t right. All except Bilbo. No Bilbo deserves better. And everyone must face the consequences of their actions, even a king.” Fili paused and then added, “especially a king.”

Thorin nodded his head in agreement. “No, Bofur is much better for Bilbo than I ever was, or could hope to be. He is patient and kind and not so bitter and used up by the world. I do not believe I could ever have made Bilbo as happy.”

“We only wished to see you so happy,” Dwalin said quietly. And as Thorin looked at his friend, he knew he would hear no more arguing about Bilbo or Thorin’s suitors. Fili was right after all, there were always consequences and Thorin would happily pay these if it meant that his one would be happy and loved.

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by Thorinsmut's story, where Bofur courts Bilbo after the canon ending of BOFA. And I got to wondering what would have happened if Thorin and Fili and Kili had lived and Bilbo still wound up with Bofur. Because I get kind of tired of Bilbo being in love with this guy who routinely treats him like shit, for no reason other than he is different. I also think that the young ones would be more supportive of Bilbo getting out of that dynamic while the more old-fashioned dwarrow would be more the stick it out, make it work types. Personally, I think it would take a lot to make that work, especially the relationship described in Smoke Sapphire.  
> Also, this is my first posted work, ever. So while I will appreciate constructive criticism, please watch the harshness level. Obviously I have no beta so all mistakes are mine.


End file.
